Trick or Treat!

Darling Eli as a scarecrow! (Another great costume borrowed from another great neighbor! :) He looked so cute and little in this outfit... I just can't express the way my heart felt when I saw him in it. I was in love! My lil' E-diddy!

Connor and Eli ready to go trick or treating! (Eli trying to do what the ninja is doing! :)

Our awesome neighbors hooked up their tractor to their 4 wheeler and pulled all the kids on their own private hayride as they trick-or-treated! We felt like Halloween royalty! :)

Rylan and Connor... best buds.

Mom and Dallin

Unlike last year where Eli pooped out after three houses.. he was psyched and ready to go all night long! His bucket got so heavy and he never asked me to carry it once.

Dallin and Dad stayed home and passed out candy to the trick-or-treaters. (We had a ton! The streets were filled!!) Seth said Dallin got so excited every time the doorbell rang and would make a mad dash for the door (crawling of course)! He also loved to help pick out the candy for the trick-or-treaters! So cute!

Well, I blew my diet today BIG-TIME and pigged out on candy and pizza until I was SICK! Such a fun night! :) Now we get to wait a whole year until next time! Happy Haunting!

Trunk or Treat!

Tiff with her ninja, pirate, and monkey all in tow. (This is the only visible picture I have of Connor... every time I took his picture he thought he had to move like a ninja! :)

My cute Seth and his cute pet monkey.

Arggggh Matey!

Mmmm... the monkey really liked the M&M's I gave him... but he did not like it when they ran out! :(

Pumpkin Heads

Well, it is that time of year again when we carve pumpkins. I felt like a very good mom today because I did this with the boys on my own when I don't particularly care for carving pumpkins. Usually I watch while Seth takes charge and does it with the boys. Or let me rephrase that. Usually Eli and I watch while Seth takes charge and carves pumpkins with Connor. Eli again this year would not touch the "guts" for the life of him! This year Connor drew his own design (complete with three eyes) as well as carved and de-gutted his pumpkin by himself. We missed Dad, but we all had a great time. Right before bedtime (when it was dark) we went back outside for the first jack-o-lantern lighting. They were so excited and it ended with Connor exclaiming, "This was the most fun day ever!" :) I love my boys!

Meet Tim.

This is Tim working away... the kids played around him while he built this play structure from the very first board. It made me so nervous with the drills, screws/nails, hammers, etc laying around everywhere. Not to mention long heavy boards that were being swung every which way by little boys. Lets just day I did a lot of yelling! :)

I have an awesome husband! He spent every free minute of day light that he had over the last two weeks to build this play structure for the boys. I mean he would come straight home from work (even a little early), change his clothes, head to the back yard and stay out there through dinner (while the rest of us ate) and until it was dark-dark! Literally no visibility what so ever. In fact, Seth has spent so much time out there lately that our neighbor has nick-named him, Tim. As in "Tim the Tool Man". :)

Seth is finally almost finished. The only thing he has left to do is to attach the slide. He worked on the play structure again today literally up until the minute he had to leave to catch his flight to New Jersey. He was hoping to have it finished for the boys before he left. He did a pretty great job! These 5 hoodlums spent the ENTIRE day out there. (And no, I never even bothered to put clothes on Eli. He was out there from the minute he woke up almost until dinner time. And if it is my own backyard... it's my prerogative, right?) Dallin made several appearances out there too. He loves to crawl freely around on the grass and to watch the big boys play. However, I had to bring Dallin inside once I realized that the big boys were initiating him into their club by taking him up to the top of the "club house". After that a sad Dallin then stood at the back door and shouted, squealed and banged on the glass as he watched enviously.

We had wanted to get a play structure after the trampoline was crushed in the hurricane last year. But it was not until now (a little over a year later) that we finally saved up the money to get it! It has swings, a slide, a club house, a rock wall, monkey bars, a picnic table, and a sandbox (which I think I have convinced Seth NOT to install). I know that sounds mean, but I do not need sand all over my house 24-7! The boys don't know anything about it. :) I love that the boys have a place to run and play and get out their energy! And the boys seem to love it too! Thanks for all your hard work, babe! XO

Polar Bears Win Again!

Are you ready for me to stop bragging about my 7-year old's soccer abilities yet? ;) Lets just say this pic says it all. (That is Connor #6 with the ball) And they conveniently came up with a rule this game (after Connor scored three goals) that said one person is not allowed to score more than three goals. Not a bad idea... it gets them to pass more.... and no one likes a ball hog. But the problem is... Connor gets the ball and heads to the goal and then no one is there for him to pass it to. So he has to kick it backwards or take it back down the field to pass it off to someone. :) Not very effective, but he still had fun! :)

What do you think?

I have done mo-hawks for Dallin a lot, but I have never done it with his hair this long. Yesterday I took Dallin to the mall like this and got some very interesting reactions. Some were very rude with their open looks of disgust and outrage. There was some finger pointing followed by polite laughing. And then there were some compliments and hi-fives. I personally think he looked pretty sweet! :)

Watch Out World. . .

Dallin just took his first three steps!!! YAY! And only at 14 months, 2 weeks and 1 day old! :) Now, if only I could get him to do it again! Hmmm. . .

Pleased as Punch!

Dallin Kelly is getting big! (Well lets not get ahead of myself... he IS on the scrawny side and IS 14.5 months and still NOT walking!) But my little man HAS started to eagerly feed himself with a utensil! :) He is as cute as cute can be and already showing his first signs of attitude. We think it is funny now when he throws his fits, but I am quite sure we will be in for it in a few months!

GOAL!!!

(Connor is not wearing a jersey in this picture because they collected the uniforms at the game to get their names printed on them.)

So I have decided that I pretty much live vicariously through my 7-year old's soccer experience, and I am okay with that. I can't help it. It is so much fun! Connor is off to a great start so far with a 2-0 season. We just got back from his second game and I can not help but think he is just so awesome! Now, don't get me wrong... he is not the best player out there, or have super mad skills. His foot is finally getting stronger, but I would say it is average at best. His dribbling skills are above average, but again... not the best I've seen from his age group. But what he does beat out everyone on all teams hands down... is HEART! The kid is amazing; you can not get him down! He never gives up... is super aggressive... and gives everything he has...100% the entire game.

His team just won this last game 3-2. All three goals scored by Connor. The first goal he scored was headed into the goal from a good 12 feet back! (The coach said that is the first head goal he has seen in six seasons of coaching!)

One of the rules of this "fair and positive" league is that parents and coaches are not allowed to keep score. Connor was previously sitting his turn out and was then put back in the game for the last 5 minute period as center forward. The score was 2-2. I could not help myself... I ran out to the field and whispered into Connor's ear that the score was 2-2 and this was his last chance to score for the win. Right as I turned away I hear Connor yell, "HEY GUYS, IT IS 2 to 2. WE HAVE TO SCORE!!" Busted! It was so painfully obvious what I had just done and I was embarrassed for all of about 10 seconds. That is until the whistle blew and Connor made a mad dash down the field and scored what was the winning goal!

GO POLAR BEARS! GO CONNOR!!

What we have been up to lately...

Getting 100% on a spelling test!

Connor is very strong in his math and science and weak in his reading and spelling. We practice spelling every week and probably average a 65% score... that is until this week! His first 100%! This is a VERY big deal! Yay! Go Connor! Out of 15 words he only missed one the following week (93%). We hope he can keep up the good work.

Catching and playing with the frogs!

Our front and back yard are both filled with frogs, lizards, and squirrels right now! Yes, we have even seen (small) snakes on occasion... but we run from those! :)

Our Fall weather has been looking and feeling like a sauna!
Each morning I wake up and feel like I am stepping out of a hot shower when I open the door! The weather has been crazy hot and sticky and our windows are proof of it! They have looked like this every day this week.

Drawing Sponge Bob and Patrick!

I thought these were so cute! Connor is not very artistic and pretty much has nothing to do with any coloring or drawing activity. I was so thrilled when I saw him come home with these darling pictures he drew at recess! (They don't have a playground at their new school yet. If you want to buy some cookie-dough to help raise money for it, let me know! ;)

Taking care of sick kids!!
I have had almost a full month of tending to sick children! It has been one sickness after another going through three kids which makes for a very crazy mom! We have had three sets of stomach virus', 2 sets of earaches, and 3 sets of colds. The last is Dallin with his cold that just won't go away. The doctor says Dallin has asthma and the poor guy has to take breathing treatments twice a day on this machine (until he is better). The doctor asked me who in the family has asthma since it is genetic. I had no idea. Anyone want to own up to it? :)

Happy Halloween!

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Polar Bears

Fun, Fair, Positive Soccer is the name of the new soccer league Connor is playing for this year. We loved his old one, but it was just too far for us to drive.

I attended the first practice with Connor today and well, I am thinking maybe this league is going to be just a little too fun and a little too fair. :)

When we arrived the team sat down together to choose a team name. The first kid suggested 'Cheetahs'. The second kid suggested 'Polar Bears'. The 3rd, 4th and 5th kid all say 'Polar Bears' as well, so the coach declared by a majority vote, "Polar Bears it is!". (You have got to love 7- year olds!) Connor however, was the only kid who was less than pleased with the team name and sat scowling away. Not only did Connor not get the name he wanted, he did not even get to suggest the name he wanted. (Now where is the fun and fairness in that? ;) Connor wanted to use the name 'Dynamos' as in the name of Houston's Major League Soccer team. The kid did have a point... it does seem to be a much more fitting soccer team name than the "Polar Bears". I had a good laugh which I think made Connor all the more mad. :)

Then at the end of practice the coach was prepping the parents for the games. He says, and I quote, "There will be no coaching from any of the parents at the games. Even I will not do any coaching at any of the games. If a child runs down the field with the ball in the wrong direction... then I am going to yell, "Good dribbling!" and I expect you to do the same. Please do not correct them. This club is all about being positive and having fun."

HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA! Really? REALLY?!? I can understand asking crazy-out-of-control parents to close their yappers, but even the coach will not coach? Where is the sense in that? And if the kid is running down the field in the wrong direction... you are not going to correct them? Well you can bet your bottom dollar that I WILL make it known to Connor if he is going the wrong way! I will gladly hold my tongue when it comes to the other kids, if that is what their parents want. But since when did teaching rules, strategies and skills become deemed as such a negative thing? Hmmm. Go figure.

Don't get me wrong-- the coach seemed like a very nice guy. (He would have to be, right?) And he is volunteering his time to do this. Something I consider no small feat and I appreciate very much. But I am glad it is him and not me coaching... because I almost signed up to be a coach. It might have been very embarrassing to get thrown out on a volunteer basis! :)

Here is to a GREAT soccer season... GO POLAR BEARS!!!!

This one's for you, Mom!

The other day I went to the movies with a girlfriend of mine and I heard this song playing in the movie soundtrack. I was suddenly flooded with memories as a little girl when my mother used to always sing this to me. I had completely forgotten! I never even knew it was a real song! ;) It made me so happy that I had to look it up and have started singing it to my kids! Eli and I have enjoyed listening, dancing, and singing along to this all day long. Mom, I love you a bushel and a peck... and a hug around the neck!